Sinner’s Return: Why His Month Off Won’t Slow Him Down
Jannik Sinner still has another month of suspension ahead, but former ATP star Gilles Simon thinks the world No. 1 will come back stronger than ever.
The Italian tennis phenom hasn’t played since winning the Australian Open in January. His absence stems from testing positive for clostebol at the 2024 Indian Wells Open.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| it Jannik Sinner | 23 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
While it initially looked like Sinner was heading to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, WADA ultimately settled the case with his team.
The final agreement? A three-month suspension running from February 9th to May 4th.
This means Sinner’s comeback tournament will be the Italian Open starting May 7th—conveniently on home soil where fans will surely give him a hero’s welcome.
But will he be rusty after such a long break?
Simon doesn’t think so. The retired French player believes Sinner’s situation is completely different from an injury layoff.
“He’s going to play great. It’s a three-month suspension where he’s practicing, so basically it’s a three-month preparation,” Simon told Tennis365. “He’s going to play a bit to find the rhythm again, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to find it quickly.”
Unlike injured players who can’t train properly, Sinner has been able to maintain his fitness and work on his game throughout the suspension.
“In one moment, he’s going to win, he’s going to be back on track, and he’s going to play well – because it’s not an injury, it’s a suspension,” Simon explained. “He’s healthy, he had time to also maybe heal the parts of the body that maybe needed some work on it.”
The 23-year-old might even have an edge on clay. While his competitors were battling hard courts in Indian Wells and Miami, Sinner could focus exclusively on clay court training.
That said, his rivals will have actual match experience on the surface before they face him in Rome.
The timing of his return couldn’t be better from a support perspective. Playing his first tournament back in front of Italian fans should provide a much-needed boost, especially considering the controversy surrounding his case.
Not everyone was happy with how WADA handled things.
Nick Kyrgios called it “a sad day for tennis” and complained about the lack of fairness in the sport. The Australian has been one of the harshest critics of both Sinner and the anti-doping system since the case became public last August.
Even the Professional Tennis Players Association, co-founded by Novak Djokovic, slammed the system, claiming bias against certain players and demanding changes.
Despite the noise, Simon’s prediction suggests Sinner will let his tennis do the talking when he finally returns to the court next month.
